Women of Troy split up in preparation for season

Before competing in their first dual match on Thursday, the USC women’s tennis team got in important tournament action last weekend.

While other team members were competing at the Freeman Memorial Championships in Las Vegas, sophomore Alison Ramos, freshman Danielle Lao and juniors Maria Sanchez and Lyndsay Kinstler participated in the National Collegiate Tennis Classic in Palm Springs, Calif.

To kick off their spring season, nationally ranked No. 8 Sanchez led the way for USC in her single’s play, making it all the way to the final round. At last year’s NCTC, Sanchez was the singles semifinalist and the No. 2 seed.

With a bye in the round of 16, Sanchez then defeated UCLA’s Andrea Remynse in a comeback three set match (4-6, 6-2, 6-0) to land a spot in the semifinal round. There she put away Stanford’s Lindsay Burdette (6-3, 6-3).

The sixth-seeded Alison Ramos of USC followed up a Round 16 three-set win by upsetting the No. 3 seed Maria Mosolova of Northwestern in the quarterfinals (6-0, 6-1). Later in the semifinals, Ramos fell to Stanford’s Hilary Barte.

This left Barte and Sanchez for the final round. In a tight first set, Barte took the singles title, defeating Sanchez 7-5, 6-2. Before taking the singles championship, Barte also ousted another Woman of Troy along the way. Barte took down freshmen Danielle Lao in the quarterfinals (6-3, 6-2). Kinstler lost early in the first round.

In the doubles scene, Ramos and Lao teamed up but were defeated in the semifinal round to UCLA’s Andrea Remynse and Yasmin Schnack (8-3). Kinstler and Sanchez were also ousted in the semifinal round to Stanford’s Barte and Mallory Burdette. Barte and Burdette later took home the doubles championship.

At the UNLV tournament, junior Cristala Andrews, a Las Vegas native, made it to the consolation finals. After Andrews lost in a tough first round (6-7, 4-6) to Florida’s Anastasia Revzina, she regained her momentum in the consolation rounds. In the final round of consolation play, Andrews lost in three sets to UNC’s Shinann Featherston (2-6, 6-0, 2-6). Both freshman Valeria Pulido and junior Leyla Entekhabi won one and lost two matches during their singles play.

In doubles, Andrews and Entekhabi were defeated early in the first round.

Overall, Sanchez believes it was a good weekend for her team. “It went well for being the first tournament back,” she said. “I think as we continue to play matches, we will get more and more in a grove and into the swing of things.”

The Women of Troy open their dual season on Thursday, hosting Long Beach State at 1:30 p.m.